Re: Re: Ants! Every kind, Everywhere!

This sounds interesting John (although it probably is a "formed" boric acid product). Dont you think there could be potential problems, when the ants eat stuff like this (and boric acid) then procede to go back into the nest in the pot and die. Now you have hundreds or thousands of dead ants decomposing all with boric acid content (or other poison) leeching into the soil???
aroid-l@mobot.org wrote:
> off the record, there is a chinese product called "miracle ant chalk" that comes 2 three-inch sticks of white chalk per $2 yellow and orange cardboard box. it is not licensed and therefore not available from nurseries, but can be found
in chinatown groceries in major cities. it is said to contain pyrethrum or pyrethroids. works well indoors or on clay pots - just a single line across the ants column leads to the death of hundreds within hours. might be impractical on
dirt and probably not good to use if toddlers are around as it looks just like blackboard chalk.
john smolowe
Donald Burns wrote:
> Marc,
>
> Seems to me that the pest control guys down here use a common kitchen
> chemical (white powder) such as Arm & Hammer stuff to fight hard shelled
> insects. The last time we had a carpenter ant invasion, this stuff was used
> along with some more toxic stuff. Wish I could remember what it was. I'm
> sure someone else will know.
>
> Don
>
> mburack@mindspring.com writes:
>
> >
> > For those of you who dont grow plants in South Florida, I am doubtful that you could understand the "unreal" insect problem "we" deal with here.
> >
> > I have been looking for a way to kill a lot! of ants without having to use serious pesticides (I save the serious stuff for the more "colorful" groups of pest insects).
> >
> > Ants regularly invade and nest in every available pot I have and farm every miserable pest imaginable. Does anyone know of a good and fairly benign product that can be flooded on the plant as well as into the soil with good result?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Marc
>